Waiting for You
by Shiba Akita
Summary: Through a back-fired prank, Sirius is trapped in his Animagus form. His best friend James takes him under his wing, and life goes on. But when it seems James is gone forever, Siirus waits against the ultimate test of time Based on Hachiko, a true story.
1. Chapter 1

"Ready to go Padfoot?" James said with a grin, rolling up the Invisibility Cloak and tossing it into some bushes where it melted into the greenery.

"You bet I am," said Sirius, grinning as well. "Wait till Moony and Wormtail find out, they'll be _so_ mad!"

"Yeah, well, that's there loss." James said, staring around at the Hogwarts Grounds. Beautiful in the darkness, illuminate lightly by a half moon hanging above the lake. He crouched onto the ground, feeling wet grass between his fingers. Sirius did the same. Seconds later, a stag and dog replaced them.

The stag—James—strolled towards a nearby tree and rubbed his long, curling antlers against its trunk, leaving deep scratches in the bark. He sighed, which came out as a soft _uurr_. The velvet on his prongs always itched when he transformed.

Sirius, the large bearlike dog, woofed his disproval, before dropping his nose to the grass, which told him stories of all the people, animals, and rain had been here hours before. He wagged his tail and rolled around in the scents—pure bliss! He walked towards the tree James was still rubbing his antlers against, sniffed it at the base, cocked his leg, and peed against it. Ha! Now it was his tree! He marked it!

He yawed, stretched his legs, and woofed at James again.

_C'mon, we've got other stuff to do!_ he thought, though obviously James couldn't understand. To prove his point, Sirius bounded for the Forbidden Forest, and James, not wanting to be left behind, ran after the dog, leaving a pile of pellets behind him.

No human (except perhaps Hagrid) could've navigated through the brush so well. They had more experience in the Forest than any besides the gamekeeper, And with eyes, ears, and senses capable of seeing every beetle, hearing every whisper of wind, and bodies strong enough to tackle the foulest of creatures (like Snape, for example) they had nothing to fear. The "boys" galloped through the trees, barking and mewling as they leapt over logs, splashed through puddles, upset homing animals, and marked the trees with velvet and piss, and having a great time at it. They were best fiends, at the best school, and life could never get better than this.

A squirrel sitting on the ground caught Sirius's interest, and he barked at the thing, chasing it as it chirped and raced up an oak. Sirius barked at it, even as it disappeared into the branches.

_No Wormtail getting in the way, no Moony to worry about. Just me and James on the run for ourselves_, he thought happily with a wag of his tail. It stopped in mid-twitch as his nose snagged a new scent.

He turned back into a boy, almost seventeen.

"Hey Prongs, you smell that?" James nodded his head (an odd gesture to see from a stag) and turned into his normal self.

"Snivellus? He's _here_?"

"Yeah, why I have no clue. Better have our wands out, you reckon?"

"Nah mate, he'll get us into trouble." James grinned, his eyes brightening with an idea. "But we can still have some fun with him…"

He whispered his plan to Sirius.

"Sounds good mate. Bit cheeky though, ain't it?" he asked as he dropped to all fours again.

"Of cour—"James tried to say as his mouth bulged into a muzzle. He pawed the ground with his hoof as Sirius padded towards that overwhelmingly rotten smell.

There he was, sitting on an old stump, wand in the air. The dog snorted—what was Snape doing here at night all alone, surrounding by creatures more dangerous than himself? Doing schoolwork in privacy, or something else, something he wouldn't dare do even around Slytherins…? He had to find out…

He crept up from behind, hoping the greasy git wouldn't see him. The stench became overpowering, magnified by his canine snout. Sirius couldn't help it. He coughed, choking on his own spit, and Snape roared, turning around.

"Who's there? _Lumos_!" Light appeared at Snape's wnad tip, contrasting with his oily black hair and eyes.

Sirius growled uncontrollably. Here was his chance to finally get Snivilleus back, for all the sneaking around, for trying to get them expelled, for stealing his best friend's love. Snape directed his wand at the sounds, only to see a heap of black hair rush at him.

"Arrgh!" They fell into a heap, Sirius biting every hint of flesh he could hold, Snape punching him and throwing curse after curse at him. The dog felt the spells hit him, burning his hide, but he continued to attack, mauling the boy bleeding under him.

Sirius couldn't remember anything that happened afterwards. He vaguely saw a stag rushing at them, its antlers separating the two; there was something about Snape running off, limping with a wounded leg, of James flinging him onto his back, and being at the edge of the Forest. That was where Sirius woke up.

James, human again, was standing over him. "You alright Padfoot?"

Sirius groaned dully. He was sore allover, still feeling all of Snape's bloody curses. He rose onto all fours shakily, as if he was just a pup learning to stand.

James stroked his back. "Why'd you do that Pad? He had a wand, and you know that git'll do anything to skin us. Why'd you attack? I thought we were just gonna scare him, make him feeling surrounded by animals."

Sirius tried to say "'cause of everything he did," but couldn't. He tried to transform to talk, but found his mouth unable to work.

"C'mon Sirius, it's Monday, we gotta get up to the Castle. Change back."

Sirius tried to change back, he really did, but couldn't; he was weak, tired, and hungry, and couldn't stand, let alone transform. Try as he might to throw away his dog body, he couldn't change into his human shape.

And he never could again.

**Thanks everyone, will be grateful for reviews. This fanfic is a combination of Harry Potter and the true story of _Hachiko, _the world's most loyal dog. A google search will tell you everything, and it's a smple story, but I won't mention it here for those that't don't want spoilers. Hope you enjoy!**


	2. The Complication

James stared at the tombstone.

_Sirius Black. June 18__th__ 1960 – June 9__th__, 1977_

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He saw all these people, men in black formal robes and witches wearing tights and fox-fur veils. Several girls from school were also there, howling and weeping and one or two kissing the newly unveiled tombstone. Otherwise there wasn't a tear, none from the Black's oversized yet underbred family. People chatted to each other, some holding drinks provided by milling House Elves, empty glasses propped on the many surrounding tombstones. It was more a gathering, James thought, a family reunion with the perfect excuse to get together, a death.

A death…

James tugged at his tie; the sun was practically melting him. He gazed at the many people, living and dead, those deceased marked by stone. His shoulders quivered involuntarily; James hated being in a cemetery. It creped him out, imagining thousands of dead bodies rotting away beneath his feet. Why did people do that, cast the corpses of their beloved under the ground, stocked in boxes so they had no connection with anything? He'd never understand.

Without another glance James started for the entrance, trying not to imagine the sound of bones breaking under his feet. A large black dog was waiting for him at the iron gate.

"Remind me to put in my will," he said as he closed the gate behind him, "that I want to be cremated. Can't stand the thought of rotting in the ground someday, do you?" A bark was his only answer. James pulled his wand out of his pocket and jabbed it at his sleeve. It lost its velvet feel as the tuxedo turned into ordinary robes, and James, smirking, took off his Gryffindor tie and knotted it around his head.

Sirius shook his head as they started up the street. It was odd, watching his own unveiling, and funeral two years earlier. It was like being a ghost; he could see, hear, and understand everything, but couldn't interact. James, as a very distance relative, had gone in his place (Remus and Peter were on an Order mission, so unable to come to the cemetery.)

His family didn't care, he thought sadly, his tail drooping. Like James had noticed, it was a social gathering for the pureblood families, more about the whole than the individual, save for a few girls obsessed with him. Most of his family hadn't seen him for years, not since he'd run away to live at the Potters'. The man at his side (well not exactly, Sirius only came up to James's knee) was more of a brother than Regulus could ever be. Sod them!

Godric's Hollow was miles away, but as James couldn't Side-Along Apprate with a dog, they were forced to walk their way out of Hogsmeade. And he wasn't registered, so he couldn't turn into a stag and run alongside Sirius, relying only on foot in this part fo town, and back to Lily.

James's heart swelled in his chest. Lily, the woman he loved, who finally loved him back. There wasn't anything better in the world. He put his hand on Sirius's back and stroked the fur, thinking of his wife's hair in its place.

Everyone James knew (besides Snape) had felt sorry for him, after what was supposedly his best friend's death. No one every figured out what had killed Black, though, as James had been on the edge of the grounds, people assumed Sirius had drowned in the lake, or been killed by the Giant Squid or Merpeople down below. The only thing everyone knew for sure was, right after Sirius died, James got a large black dog of the same name, which greatly resembled his departed friend.

Only both boys, Moony and Wormtail knew the truth, that Sirius was trapped in dog form. They never truly found out why, though they suspected that the combination of spells Snape had hit him with (some they'd never heard of, possibly indicating that they were of Snape's design) had combined to lock Sirius in his canine body. They'd tried spells and concoctions, even dabbling with Polyjuice Potion and bits of Dark Magic, but nothing ever worked.

So Sirius accompanied James at Hogwarts, and at the Potter's house during the holidays, and when their year graduated and James married Lily, it was only natural for Sirius to join them (against Lily's wishes.)

By this point, James and Sirius had reached the train station. Though both were raised in pure-blood families and never needed anything other than a broomstick for travel, James had had to learn (with a lot of help from Lily) how to blend into the Muggle world, as Order mission required mingling with the non-magical. He'd never been on a train, apart from the Hogwarts Express, but that was different; you weren't allowed to show off your Nimbus 1000 when you boarded the Muggle station, and you didn't have to stand in line for a ticket. But they boarded the next train coming into the station, Sirius resting his head on James's feet.

James ruffled the dog's head. "Don't worry Padfoot, you've got real family."

But Sirius wasn't really paying attention. He smelled something much more interesting. Yes, he lifted his heat. A bitch in heat! Woof, just a few compartments down! He sprang to his feet—

"Whoa whoa!" James cried, grabbing Sirius's leather collar as he started off. People cowered at the sigh of this large beast straining against its master, but James tried to ignore them. "Sirius, calm down," he muttered as Sirius whined and twisted about, attempting for freedom. As James pressed his collar to the floor, Sirius bit him.

"Ouch!" James pulled his hand towards himself, examining the red marks on his index. "Why'd you do that?" But Sirius whimpered, an almost human apologetic look on his face. He pulled back his ears and licked his friend's marked hand, his only way of saying sorry. James stroked his head. "What's into you?"

Yes, Sirius wondered, lying on the carpet as the floor rattled, why had he bitten James? He hadn't wanted to, he just wanted to find that bitch in heat, and James got in the way. It had just happened out of no where, almost instinctively…

He sighed; things like this had started happening. A few weeks ago James, while attempting the new Patronus communication thing Dumbledore had shown them, his wand had slipped out of his hand, and Sirius had fetched it, racing after it and almost snapping it in half between his teeth, and when he'd returned it to James, crouched and wagged his tail. Another time, Lily had brought a new cauldron home from Diagon Alley. The first thing Sirius had done was sniff it, taking in the menacing scent of a male Alsatian, and peed against it! Lily had screeched and sent him outside for days without food. It had been a miserable half-week.

But the bigger issue, Sirius thought as the train rumbled along, James staring out the window, was that had no control over these things. None. It was like when he was a boy, making random bits of magic happen out of his control. But this was slightly different. His bran had started working oddly during those times. He'd chased James's wand because he wanted to retrieve it, and brought it back in the hopes that it would be thrown again. He'd marked Lily's cauldron because he felt it belonged to him, not some big male Alsatian who ate trash and raw meet and leather…

Sometimes it was like he had two brains, one man and one dog. Perhaps this was a result of the spells Snape had hit him with, or perhaps just the prolonged period of time, but the more Sirius was a dog, the more he thought and acted like one. He sighed. If only he could tell James…

The train rumbled to a stop and they got off the platform into King's Cross. Godric's Hollow was still several miles away, but as much of the area was forested, James felt safe enough turning into a stag, quite sure the Muggles wouldn't notice. So they galloped home, both emerged in the animal world of scents sand high-pitched sounds. They ran along, forgetting their worries about the Order and Voldemort and losing their minds. They were still two best friends having fun.

James turned back into a person when they left the forest—he'd never told Lily, or anyone besides the other Marauders about being an Animagus (he never mentioned Sirius either. Perhaps Lily wouldn't have been so reluctant to let him stay if she knew he was more than just a big, sloppy, bouncy cur). But a few blocks later there was the cottage, small and cozy and warm as ever.

The first thing Sirius noticed was a small grey (it was actually green) teddy bear on the threshold. Why was it doing here? Was it for him?

"Hello James," Lily swooped in from out of no where, kissing her husband.

Both James and Sirius were surprised to see Lily already home. She, like James and many other Order members, had a Muggle job, working under cover to gather more information, at a police station. She was normally home late in the afternoon, exhausted from gathering information to protect the Muggles, but it was hardly past one now, and here she was, bright and cheery and clearly bursting with news.

James kissed her back "Dear, what is it? Why're you home so early. Anything to tell me?"

"Oh James I, I…well this morning…well, um, er…" clearly she had a whole story to tell, but let it out in one quick quote: "I'm pregnant!"

A huge grin spread across her husband's face. He picked her up, kissed her deeply on the mouth. And they headed to the kitchen, shrieking and laughing, looking for a bottle of champagne.

Sirius stared at the teddy bear. It smelled distinctly of a Greyhound. He lifted his leg and peed on it, claiming it as his.


	3. The Routine

_Sirius was walking through the Forbidden Forest. The ground was far below his two feet, he was practically blind and deaf in this almost alien environment. But he went on searching, clenching his teeth whenever sharp branches caught his skin._

_ There was a figure in the distant, tall and black-haired like him, but could only see its silhouette; no details. _

_ The figure turned, and Sirius could see its amber eyes. Despite slight menace in them, he could almost see a smile beneath those twin lights._

_ It winked, and started to walk off, dissolving more and more into smoke with every step._

_ "Wait!" Sirius called, starting to run after it. But he wasn't used to walking on two legs anymore. He tripped, his sense of smell heightened, but he couldn't smell the figure anymore and there was the sound of a train whistle—_

A sharp pain in the ear jolted Sirius out of his sleep. He howled and leapt to his four feet. A loud, high-pitched squeal told him where the pain had come from.

"Why'd you have to do that every time Harry?" Sirius whined as the kid buried his hands in the dog's neck. Sirius clenched his teeth at the familiar pinching. He pried those sharp little fingers out of his fur with his nose, causing Harry to laugh and let go.

Sirius ran to the other side of the room, climbed into a chair, and glared down at Harry, indicating that, as he couldn't run or walk or climb (or anything really, other than be annoying) that he, Sirius, was quite protected from any more painful surprises. The kid, spread-eagle on the dog bed, tried to wriggle his way over to the couch. Finding himself unable to, he wrinkled his face into a screeching wail. The sound hurt Sirius's already pulsing ears as it echoed around the room. Folding them backwards on his head and snarling at Harry did nothing to soften the noise.

Sirius sighed, wishing he could leave the room. Why did Lily and James (especially the former) always leave their infant alone with a dog capable of seeing the little scrap as an appetizer? Sure, James knew there wasn't any menace under the thick black fur, but Lily was different. She'd spent the first eight months of her child's life at home, fussing over him and acting as the stereotypical overactive mother, with a few flaws. She was the only one allow to touch Harry for weeks, snapping like a tigress when anyone tried. When she started allowing contact, she wouldn't let Sirius lick or nuzzle Harry, swatting him away whenever he got close, yet left the two alone together when she was exhausted, locked in a room surrounded by toys, blankets, miniscule clothing, and sounds strong enough to make a Dementor back down. Now that she was starting work again, claiming that ten months was old enough for Harry to get along with a sitter, this was now a constant occurrence.

She would call, "Sirius, you want a treat?" and Sirius, excited by this notion, would run wherever her voice was, only to find himself shut in the nursery with a strip of cheese, a very unhappy baby, and Lily on the other side of the door. The cheese was hardly worth the screaming, pulling, and pinching always provided.

He relaxed as Harry quieted now, content to suck on a rawhide bone. Sirius was anxious to correct him, but decided against it. Harry wasn't about the choke on the rawhide, and it filled his mouth, though Sirius winced as baby drool lathered up his bone. He found another toy, the grey teddy bear, and shook it back and forth between his teeth, before going over to Harry and nudging him with it. Harry feebly reached for the toy, but Sirius snatched it away, wagging his tail as the little hands clenched over air.

The battle between human thoughts and animal instincts was still being fought in Sirius's head, almost like the real war, and it was only getting worse. Sometimes, like now, he was fairly in control, only giving into canine likings with the stuffed bear, showing how superior he was by having the prize.

But often, especially when things were rough, the dog mind took over. Sometimes where James and Lily fought, either in play or ferocity, Sirius would stand in front of James: his body and ears low, tail stiffly twitching, growling through bared teeth as Lily cowered. And Sirius never relaxed, and never could. James was his responsibility, he had to protect his master against this assault, even as she screamed and slid to the floor in a weeping mass, causing the baby upstairs to scream along. He earned two weeks in the doghouse for this.

Actually, when he really thought about, Sirius knew that most of these charismatic incidents happened because of James. Not that he was blaming his friend, but that was the truth.

When James was frustrated because Harry wouldn't stop crying, or there were too many papers from work to correct, Sirius would lick him under the chin, trying to be sympathetic. When the family played in the backyard, and James slipped on the rocks, Sirius stood besides him, licking the torn skin and baring his teeth when Lily approached. And he had no control over any of it, like he was a pet truly devote to one person, and a distant human mind was just going along for the ride.

It seemed his fondness for James was being manipulated by domestication, that their seven years of being the best of friends had transfigured slowly into a demeaning, yet stronger master-dog relationship.

And there was one more quirk.

The nursery door creaked open, causing both occupants inside to start barking. James came in. Sirius leapt to the floor.

"Hey guys," he said, picking Harry up and ruffling his hair. "Been having fun?"

There was no reply.

"Well, we've gotta get going," he said, putting Harry in his cot. "Long day today. You coming Sirius?"

Sirius didn't need to be asked twice. His tail waving wildly about, he followed James out of the room into the kitchen. Lily was gone; apparently she'd already left for work. James made himself some coffee as Sirius dashed for his food bowl. He snorted: dry kibble again. He perked up though as a strip of bacon fell from the sky onto his nose.

'Thanks," he grunted, gobbling it up. James laughed as he ate his own bacon. He couldn't understand Sirius's sounds, but he almost knew what the dog was saying.

They finished their breakfast and waited. James got his briefcase packed (he had an undercover job as an elementary school teacher) as Sirius stared at his bowl, hoping more bacon would fall into it. None did.

A few minutes later the doorbell rang. Sirius rushed towards it, barking madly as James opened it. Bathilda Bagshot stepped in, old and feeble as ever. She was the babysitter when the family dog was off duty. There were no words exchanged between her and James—she knew the routine, and headed upstairs to the nursery as James and Sirius stepped out.

"Glad that's over with," James muttered as they started up the street. "I mean, I love Harry and all, it's just…well, he's so loud and messy and I don't think I've slept properly for two years. Dunno how Lil puts up with that stuff, let alone loves it."

Sirius agreed. It wasn't that he didn't love Harry either. But the wailing, the fur-pulling, eye-poking, bad smells, and the way Lily doted over him like he was the King of England, it got to him. He did truly care for his almost-godson however (The official position had gone to Moony).

They walked the long way, James's briefcase banging against his knees, and occasionally into Sirius's head. This wasn't the best way to travel, the man thought. Even if he didn't have this big briefcase to carry around, there were too many Muggles out now to disappear into the forest, no way he could become a stag unnoticed. Instead he had to walk, most of the way at least. Still, it was great to just have some time to himself, almost.

So the miles trailed on. Mostly they walked together in silence. James occasionally said something about work or ruffled the dog's head. Now and then Sirius halted at a tree to mark it, masking his scent over those of previous mongrels. This was _his _place, _his_ territory. But for the most part they walked on, content with each other's company.

At last King's Cross station came into view. A new rule had been put up several months ago: no dogs allowed on the trains, unless they were for assistance. They watched a yellow Labrador stand by her owner at the booth, though James noticed the man was wearing sunglasses and she a harness. All Sirius noticed was her warm smell, of soap and biscuits and blood…but no, James was more important.

"I guess this is it," James said, crouching down. He held Sirius's head in his hands. The dog turned away; he couldn't look an alpha directly in the eyes. Instead he licked his lips, then, with much courage, James's chin.

"I gotta go Sirius. I'll see you at home, okay boy?" Sirius nodded and twitched his tail softly. "I'll see you tonight." He ruffled the dog's head and started for the ticket booth. He stared at Sirius the whole time, who stared back. At last, ticket in hand, he started for the building. He waved at Sirius, who woofed back, before tuning around. And he was gone.

Sirius stared at the door for a few minutes, wondering if James would come back. But when no one did, he yawned, shook out his fur, and started back home, running this time to cover the distance faster.

So he spent the morning and most of the afternoon with Bathilda and Harry. The old woman practically smothered the poor kid and kept swatting Sirius away.

"You're probably covered with fleas," she scolded as he gave her a pitiful look. "And you smell. I'd give you a bath if I knew you weren't covered in vermin. Here," she pulled out her wand and pointed it at his hairy side, "_Scourgify!_" but it made no difference to Sirius's long, mattered coat. That was the way it naturally looked.

He spent most of his time keeping out of Bathilda's way, only asking for attention around lunchtime. She grudging filled his dish with kibble, though forgot to add a complimentary pig's ear. Mainly he lay around out in the doghouse, sleeping or gnawing on rawhide or a teddy bear (something neither Harry nor Bagshot was particularly happy about. At around four however, Sirius sensed something. It wasn't a smell or a sound or physically feeling, but he _knew_. It was like a chill in his bones and a thought in his head. There was something he had to do now.

He ran back inside towards the front door. He didn't stop barking or scratching at the door until Bagshot found him, scowling.

"Quiet or you'll wake the baby. I suppose you want to go outside." Her face softened a little at his wide-eyed expression. "Ah, very well." And Sirius was out the door before it was properly open. He heard the old woman shriek as she tripped over his tail

He ran all the miles, faster than he had this morning. He had to get there. Had to. It was almost time.

He stopped when he reached his destination, hardly winded. Panting a bit in the heat, Sirius stared at a clock. It was two minutes to five. Though he could no longer tell time, his eternal watch, the one many animals carry, told him it was almost time.

A hotdog vendor not far away stared at him. "You alright boy?"

Sirius didn't acknowledge him .Instead, he sat on a circular grassy spot under the clock. He sat stiffly, eyes fixed on what was in front of him, and waited.

People started milling out of King Cross's doors, but Sirius didn't twitch a whisker. Not until he saw—

"Sirius!" James called as he saw his dog. Sirius rushed up to him. He jumped on the man, paws on his shoulders and licked the laughing face. Familiar warm hands stroked his face.

"C'mon boy, let's go home." Sirius jumped off, and again, they started back home. They took their time, enjoying the sights and smells around them, and each other's company.

When they got home two hours later, Bathilda had left. Lily was home now, tired as always but happy to see her husband and pet come inside the cottage.

"I can't believe it," she said as she closed the door behind them. "He's done that everyday. Everyday he goes with you to the station, then comes home, then leaves at the precise time to meet your train. I can't believe it. Is this magic?"

James grinned as he stroked his dog. "Not our type of magic Lil. It's a different kind. He gripped Sirius around the shoulders. "It's a magic no wand can conjure. It's the magic of a bond between a man and his dog." And he was certainly right.

Sirius and James had had this routine for almost two years, ever since James had gotten his job as a teacher. And never in all this time, did Sirius fail to meet him at the station.


	4. The Betrayer

"Sirius!" James called happily as he exited King's Cross. Sirius ran towards him, wagging his tail. He leapt up, paws outstretched, making himself limp as James rubbed his fur with his knuckles. Sirius lolled out his tongue, a sort of doggie grin on his face. This was pure bliss!

"Alright boy, let's go home." Sirius dropped to all fours as he followed James out of the station. People stopped to watch them leave.

"They're they go again, the old boys—"

"I can never get over it, he comes everyday—"

"How you think that man trained Sirius so well—?"

"Amazing…"

James grinned at the daily comments. People seemed to love this sight, a dog following its owner in the morning, and coming back for him at night. People like James, who used the trains almost religiously, stopped their own routines to see the pair come together, depart after a loving embrace, and unite again later. Other who didn't used the train so much, or not at all, would come to see them, amazed, or those who were critical were dragged to the station to be proven wrong. Almost everyone who saw them though, believed there was something stronger going on, something that couldn't be explained.

And both of them enjoyed the attention, though not to a huge degree. James knew it was a reminder of their Hogwarts days, where everyone would follow he and Sirius around, almost stunned, wanting to know what the most popular lads at school would do next. However, James would admit to not basking in the attention as he would've a few years ago. Right now, he was trying to keep out of the spotlight, not due to his arrogance, but for his and his family's safety.

Lord Voldemort had marked them for death. For some insane reason, he'd gotten it locked in his head that Harry, a boy who could barely walk or talk, was his greatest nemesis. (James had said something like "that's absurd!" at hearing this, only to get whacked around the head by his wife). And it was true; the Dark Lord was after them for the fourth time. James shuddered as he pictured their last encounter in his mind—Muggles screaming, blood and corpses flying everywhere, and he and Lily Apprating away just before a green flash struck them. The memory still made him halt with fear, imagine the Killing Curse coming their way.

Sirius, noticing James's sudden halt, licked his hand. The other scratched him between the ears.

"I'm alright Pad, thanks boy. But we gotta get going." And they headed off home, both grinning from ear to ear.

Their smiles melted away, however, as they realized what was going on at home. Instead of Lily or Bathilda, Kingsley Shacklebolt met them at the front door.

"You're wanted in here Potter," he said gruffly.

James stared at him for a moment, unable to speak.

"But, but the meeting's not till—"

"Quiet! You want the neighbors to hear this? Now get in and we'll explain everything." And grabbing James by the tie, he dragged him inside, his concerned dog at his heels.

James glanced down the hall, confused, as Kingsley continued pulling him by the tie through his own house. Into the kitchen they went, where more than thirty people were packed into the little kitchen. There were so many people, and so few places to sit, that the room almost seemed to be spilling out flesh and robes and wooden sticks. He just couldn't take his eyes off them.

Sirius, on the other hand, wasn't so easily upset. After his nose and instinct confirmed that nobody was about to attack his master, he relaxed, tongue hanging out, and he walked on. Legs and the hems of robes swept out of his way as he reached his food bowl. He gulped down his food, obvious to the dark conversation going on around him.

James sat beside Lily on the counter, the only available spot. "What's going on?" he asked.

Dumbledore, the lone standing person, paced the little space he had. His tone was very grave.

"We lost Benjy Fenwick, James, only a few hours ago. The Death Eaters blasted him to pieces. There're only a few bits of him left."

Dumbledore pulled out a box no bigger than a cigarette pack. James gasped.

"What exactly happened?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. He'd really liked Benjy—a really smart guy, loads of humor despite working at a funeral home.

Snape sat up. The two glared at each other.

"I have solid knowledge of the incident. Benjy was coming home from his cover job, not knowing he was being stalked by the Dark Lord's followers. They cornered him at his doorstep, though that's all anyone can say on the—"

James stood up, cursing as he whacked his head on the ceiling. Sirius was on his feet, teeth bared.

"You bastard! You killed him alongside them!"

"Don't you dare!" Snape withdrew his wand. James did the same, though still rubbing his head—

"That's enough!" though it was said softly, Dumbledore's voice hit the two men as hard as a mountain. They relaxed and sat down, with an occasional glare as Dumbledore continued. "We do not need anymore untrustworthy behavior than is already present. That is what Voldemort"—he ignored the gasps—"feeds on, what keeps him going."

Sirius relaxed as the atmosphere calmed slightly. He curled up on a blanket, gnawing on a pig ear (he had a hefty supply of them now) as the talk continued.

"This is his war, and we are an army," Dumbledore said, still pacing the space he had. "We work together as a team, to try and overcome what has already happened. People are dying, innocents caught in a genocide. The Ministry is, for lack of a better term, acting ignorant. They turn their heads away as people die and disappear and become Voldemort's"—a few people squeaked—"marionettes, doing his bidding without their consent. This is what we are trying to do, stop him and his follows in an ongoing slaughter."

There was a sudden, piercing wail from upstairs. Lily excused herself, mauvering her way around people, as she went to tend to Harry.

"Voldemort is again on our trails," Dumbledore said. "And I think there is something going on, flipping back between his side and ours."

"You mean there's a spy?" squeaked Peter, hardly visible over his chair.

"Perhaps, though here or with him I cannot be sure. And while my heart wishes to believe that none you would ever turn their back on the Order," his eyes swept over them, turning to ice on Snape and James, "my mind says it is more than a possibility."

By now Sirius had had enough. His belly was fully, James was fine, and he'd had enough of all these people. He walked towards the backdoor, cringing as a few people stroked his back, and went through the cat flap to his doghouse. The remains of a rat were beside his water dish. He rolled over it again and again, loving the smell and wanted to be lathered really well in it. Ah! He lay on his haunches, panting and wagging his tail. This was the life!

Having no real knowledge on the passage of time, Sirius couldn't incorporate the hours that the meeting went on for. Darkness covered the sky when James came out. He yawned as he knelt down to pet Sirius.

"Blimey, now that was a long meeting. Glad you missed it, eh boy?"

Sirius licked James on the face. He had no idea what he'd meant, but he liked anything the man said.

"Dumbledore doesn't want any of us going to our jobs anymore. Says it's too risky, but we still need people undercover, to protect the Muggles, you know? He's thinks I've got the cunning and the skill to keep undercover. And you of course. What do you think?"

He grasped the dog's head in his hand, a look of concern on his face. "Do you understand me?"

Sirius looked away; he didn't like such close forced contact. He whined and wriggled out of James's' grasp, and started to run around the yard, crouched in anticipation of play.

James shook his head, and started back for the house. Sometimes he didn't know what was going on in Sirius's head. The more time passed, the more he seemed to act like his canine counterpart. It didn't seem voluntary anymore, like around Lily or when they were out on the street together. Sirius licked his face and acted like a fool when it was just the two of them together. James couldn't help feeling angry—this was all Snape's fault.

He jumped at a wet sensation on his hand. He looked down—a black snout touched his palm. Big grey eyes looked longingly at him.

James smiled. "C'mon boy, let's go inside.

They went to the station the next day, with James under extra security. And as always, Sirius, his loyal companion, met him there at the end of the day.


	5. The Betrayed

**Hey everyone, especially Tygervamp, I hope you're enjoying the story. There're just a few things I want to mention.**

**I try to get the animal information down to a tee (I work with dogs, which helps a lot) Things like marking, behavior, and protection are thing I work into the story, and try to see how Sirius think during the story.**

**The reason that James and Lily seem so frustrated with Harry is because they're young parents—remember, they died in their twenties!**

**And even though Rowling never describes his breed, and the real Hachiko was an Akita, I always imagine Padfoot as a Bouvier des Flandres, except with a long tail and short beard.**

**Hope you enjoy this! Reviews always appreciated!**

"So what's going on today love?" Lily asked, stirring sugar into her coffee.

James shrugged, casting a spell on the frying pan. The bacon immediately started sizzling.

"It's just gonna be a short lesson today. Some art some math, lunch, then the—."

A bark halted James's words. Sirius was looking up at him, demanding his share.

"Alright Padfoot alright," James said, smiling even as he rolled his eyes. With a flick of his wand a piece of bacon leapt off the pan. It flopped into Sirius's food dish and was gone almost as quickly.

"No more boy," James said, waving his own piece in front of the begging grey eyes. "Long day today, I need my strength."

"Yes, because greasy, artery-clogging bacon is going to provide that." Lily sipped her coffee, wrinkling her nose at the dog who seemed hypnotized by her drink. "You wouldn't want this; it's too hot for you." Her gaze wandered to James, who was trying to hide the fact that he'd just slipped another piece of meat to the ground.

"James, why do you call him Padfoot anyways?"

James grinned. "Cause he's got a pad on each foot." He crouched down, lifted up one of Sirius's (who was protesting as loudly as he could with bacon in his mouth) paws, displaying the pad-print markings. "See? Part of a matching set!"

Lily sighed. "Yeah, I see that shape every time he comes in from outside, imprinted in mud allover my house. I remember, I know this was before we were dating, but I remember you used to call Sirius—not you!" she scowled at the dog, who'd turned towards her at the sound of his name. "The _real_ Sirius Black." Looking back at hr husband, she said, "You called him Padfoot too. James, is there something you're not telling me?"

A crease appeared between James's eyes. "Like…"

"Like that this isn't just a dog. No one ever found Sirius's—_not you, you big dolt!_ Well maybe you, but anyway—body. And you got this one," she pointed at the cur lapping spilled eggs off the floor, "right after he died. Almost right after. And you always talk to him like he can understand, not in that mock baby way most people do to pets, but like he understands what you say, and he always seems to understand you, although now that I think about it, Black always did act like a dog, so it's hard to tell the difference besides four legs and a tail. And you insisted that he live with us, even though you know I don't like dogs. My poor cat practically lives under our bed she's so scared of him." Her green eyes scanned James's face. "Am I right?"

Before he could come up with an answer, a wail started from upstairs. Lily sighed and shook her head as she left the kitchen. James could just make out the words "That child never gives me a break," followed by the scurry of feet on the stairs.

James gave a big sigh of relief as he scrambled his eggs.

"That was close. Finally, a good reason for Harry's non-stop crying. Dunno how I was supposed to answer that one. What should I tell her Sirius? That you me and Wormtail're illegal Animagi so we can control Moony who by the way is a werewolf? So he can get in trouble with the Order _and_ the Ministry and have his life ruined further for something he can't control? That I wanted something leftover from our Marauder days, a secret to myself? Yeah, we'd be doing him a favor there. To let something slip that might help us against Voldemort?"

He looked down. Sirius was staring at him, a sympathetic look on his face, though James knew that the expression was meant for the eggs and bacon slips still sizzling on the pan, begging to be dropped to the floor.

"You've had enough Pad, I need to eat too y'know, or else we'll be late." He ate slowly, talking between bites.

"I hate doing all this. Cowering in hiding, stuck here or at school, using Wormtail as a Secret Keeper. These are dark times boy, I don't know how much this'll all help us." He paused to check his watch.

"Almost eight. Don't worry." He ran his hands down the dog's back and picked up his suitcase. "We're having a party in class today and I'll bring lots of candy home for you."

Lily came down as James and Sirius exited the kitchen, a very fussy Harry in her arms.

"I can't take it anymore. All the screaming and crying over nothing. I can take it in doses, but without Bathilda here anymore, I'll never sleep properly again."

James noticed too how tired Lily was. There were deep lines under her beautiful green eyes and a grey tinge to her skin.

"Lil, I know you've been upset since you resigned, but it was for the best. Dumbledore only wants those in higher positions still out there, and Harry needs you."

"You're a teacher, I was an officer, and which do you think is higher up?"

But James raised his hand.

"You know it's not in that regard Lil. There're already plenty of Aurors stationed in the police and government offices. I need to protect the kids. You need to protect ours." He kissed her on the lips, then Harry, who was still wailing, on the cheek.

"We'll see you both tonight. Miss you."

"Miss you too," Lily sighed as James and Sirius walked out the door. As she watched it close, she couldn't shake away a tingly feeling in her spine.

"Oh cheer up," she said, both to herself and her crying son. "We'll have a good day today. After all, it's Halloween!"

James and Sirius made their usual way to King's Cross, with just one minor change…

"I can't do this," James muttered as he ducked into the forest. "I feel like I'm being watched Pad. They could be anywhere, Death Eaters. We're not safe when we leave the house, even if Peter's guarding it"

He pulled out his wand, tapped his briefcase with it, and both objects vanished. He would just say he'd them in his desk the day before. Then he dropped to all fours and turned into a stag.

Sirius shook his head, his ear flapping. What was this strange animal? Where'd it come from? He did the only logical thing: he crouched, pulled back his ears, bared his teeth, and growled.

"Sirius, it's me!" James tried to say, though only an eerie, squealing sort of sound escaped his mouth. The dog liked this even less—his jaws snapped, his haunches quivered—

James turned back into himself; he didn't want Sirius to attack him anymore than the Death Eaters. Sirius instantly relaxed; he rose to his feet and leaned against James, tongue hanging out his mouth.

James scratched him behind the ears. "OK, let's try this again." He offered his hand for Sirius to sniff, and changed it into a hoof. The dog's eyes flashed and he crouched again, growling…

This wasn't going to work. Tired, furious, and vulnerable without his wand, James, a man again, ran out of the forest, his jeans catching on twigs, a dog at his side. Knowing he would be late for working, he walked the long miles, Sirius bouncing around his feet.

This was the proof, James realized, that Sirius had truly changed. He had been stuck in dog form for so long, assisted by Snape's curses, he'd lost his mind along with his body. Back at Hogwarts, the sight of the stag had made him bark and wag his tail, though in a very human way neither could explain. They would run around the ground and Hogsmeade, keeping a close eyes on Lupin, barely controllable in werewolf form, but have the best times doing so. Running around on all fours, scaring the villagers and creatures in the forest, finally combining their findings into the Marauder's Map. James missed all that, and he was sure, if Sirius had the mind and tongue to, would've agreed.

By the time they reached King's Cross, James was exhausted. While a fit man, the pressure of the Order, having Voldemort on his tail, Peter protecting his family, and dozens of kids to watch over was taking its toll on him, draining his strength. He bought a coffee from the hotdog vendor and rubbed it between his numb fingers. Brilliantly coloured leaves swirled around him; it was definitely fall now. He went over to the booth for a ticket. As he made to pull money from his pocket the cup slipped, spilling brown liquid on the pavement. He sighed. Ah well, it wasn't as good as Lily's tea anyway.

Ticket in hand, his train about to leave, he walked back over to Sirius.

"Bye boy," he said, kneeling and scrunching the dog's head between his hands. Sirius twitched his tail and kissed James's face. This scene said it all: of the bond between them, of the love they had, as friends, as brothers, as cousins, as man and dog, their loyalty never wavered.

"See you tonight," He straightened up, patted Sirius once more on the head, and started for the doors. Their eyes never left each other, even as the door closed.

Content that James was safely on his way, Sirius started home. Just as always.

"Now I know angles seem hard to understand," James said, drawing a few on the blackboard, "but they're really quite simple. See—"

"Why do we have to do this?" a ten-year-old boy asked from his desk. There were a few "yeah"s and "why"s from other desks.

"Because you need to learn this," James said, trying to keep calm. "Imagine if you were to become a carpenter, or an artist, you'd need to know this—"

"But we don't," said the same boy.

A similar argument bounced around the class. James tried to explain how math aided them in their everyday lives, but the kids would have none of this, arguing that math was boring and they could always use a calculator. Before James could retaliate, the bell rang, and the students left for lunch.

When the last student had left, James closed the classroom door and let out a gasp of relief. It was a nightmare, he thought, returning to his desk, being a teacher. These fifth year primaries made Harry look like a quiet, sweet, lovely boy—not that he wasn't, but his banshee-like wail could make one forget his gentleness. These kids, their noises, smart-guy attitudes, and swear words James didn't remembering knowing at their age, at least Harry couldn't talk yet. He grunted, pulled a doughnut out of his briefcase, and nibbled it as he marked some papers. Most of them he covered with red X's.

Something landed on his desk, making no noise even as it ruffled the papers. A silver lynx stood before him, its misty eyes seeming to pierce his soul.

"Voldemort knows your location," the creature said in Kingsley's voice. "He knows where you are. You must go home, you must leave this instant." And before James could say anything, the Patronus turned round in a circle, and vanished.

James stood stock still, his eyes glued to where the lynx had been. His heart seemed to blur it was beating so fast; questions rushed through his head. Voldemort knew where he was? His undercover job? Did he know about their Secret Keeper, where he and his family were? What about Sirius?

Knowing what might happen, he grabbed his wand, which was in a desk drawer, and, gripping it very tightly, turned around. And he was gone.

It was almost five o'clock, and Sirius had just arrived at the train station. Tail and ears high, fur coating him against the bitter wind, he was as happy as ever.

The hotdog vendor glanced over at him, and dropped a piece of raw meat. Sirius galloped over and devoured it on the spot.

"Hungry aren't ya boy?" the man asked, smiling. Sirius was a regular customer, even if he never paid. "Here for your friend?" Sirius licked his lips. As jaunty as ever, he walked towards his grassy spot.

The clock struck five, a train whistle blew, and he became very still. It was time.

A few minutes later the doors open, people spilled out of them, all on their way to somewhere. Sirius watched them, quivering with excitement. Confusion grew, however, when James didn't come. Where was he?

The crowd started to thin, some of them patted him on the head, but he ignored them. Their hands were distracted him; what if he missed James?

The last person came out of the station, a stranger. Sirius stayed where he was. James was coming, he always did. He curled up in a ball, his eyes still aimed at the doors, waiting for his master.

A rush of emotions was going through James: angry, worry, fear, hunger, and especially annoyance.

Nothing had happened. No one in the Order had sent Lily a warning, and she'd become very cross when she found out why he was home early, thinking it was an excuse to abandon the kids. She was hardly ruffled by Kingsley's message, saying it didn't mean their location was given away, and Death Eaters sent false messages all the time. She'd also been quite unconcerned about Sirius, saying it was to dangerous to go get him from King's Cross, that the mangy mutt would come home when he realized James wasn't there. It was such an unpredictable time, too dangerous to do even the simplest things.

James yawned, even though it was just past eight. Harry was at his feet, trying to catch the smoke puffing from his father's wand. He laughed as it changed colours, making James smile. How easily his son was amused, how unaware he was of his possible destiny, how dangerous these times were.

Lily opened the door, hair falling across her face. "James, time for Harry to go to bed."

"Alright," he said, scooping Harry up and handing him over. "Night son."

As his wife and child left the room, James threw his wand onto the sofa, and stretched. He yawned widely; all these kids were sapping his energy.

BOOM!

A loud sound brought James out of his thoughts. He ran for the threshold where it had come from. He knew what was there before he reached the front door.

Tall, skeletal, livid red eyes gleaming under his hood: Lord Voldemort.

James wasted no time.

"Lily, take Harry and go!" he shouted, panic in his voice. "It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

Hold him off, but he had no wand. Voldemort saw this, laughed at his vulnerability, like a deer in the headlights. He raised his wand.

_ "Avada Kedavra!"_

James saw the flash of green light, and then nothing more.

The gleaming clock said it was almost midnight. Sirius wouldn't have noticed this even if he could tell time. He was still at the train station, still waiting. Where was James?

Other trains had come, more people filing out the doors, but none of them had that black hair, those glasses, that smell of warmth and familiarity, even as their fingers traced through his fur. They didn't have the right touch.

Now all the train had gone, the hotdog vendor had packed up, and Sirius was alone, more alone than he'd ever been in his whole life. James had never been this late before.

He got up, stretched his sore muscles, and started back home, his head still turned towards the station, even long after it was out of sight. The route home seemed to take longer than usual, with no warm hand on his had, no laughing figure with a spring in his step. Sirius felt very much alone.

He froze when he saw his home—or rather, where his home had been. Now it was a ruin of wood and brick. He smelt something burning—smoke was rising from all over. He ran in, squeezing between wooden strips and plaster and small fires. He froze again when he saw what was there.

A burly figure twice the height of a normal man was standing there, looking very bear-like as he crouched in the darkness. Salty tears were streaming down his mane and he let out wails like a wounded wolf. Sirius smelt something else about him— something small and living was in his hand, something that was also howling.

"Oy!' the bearish man said, "aren't yah the Potter's dog?"

Sirius didn't pause. He lunged forward and seized his jaws over the man's leg, or what he could it was so big around. No one was going to take Harry—nobody!

"Ah, geroff me, yeh stinkin' cur!" A hard kick sent Sirius flying across the rubble. He got to his feet gingerly, wincing on three hurt legs. He snarled at the man. What had he done with James?

"Alright there boy, if yeh want Harry, yeh gotta come with us then."

And careful not to upset Harry, Hagrid gently clambered his way out of the ruined house, Sirius limping behind. So caught up in what was happening to Harry, questions of what had happened to his home and why James wasn't at the station, Sirius hadn't seen nor scented the two mounds of dead flesh left behind in the ruin, one the body of his faithful friend, the other of his wonderful wife.


	6. The Strange InBetween

**Hey everyone, sorry this is late. Now that exams are out of the way, I can concentrate more on this. Enjoy!**

A whir of blue-white light brought Hagrid back to Hogwarts. He staggered a few steps, unaccustomed to using Portkeys, but steadied himself quickly enough. Or as quickly as he could with a dog in his arms.

He lowered the large black beast to the ground, pinning it between his massive legs. The dog kicked and struggled, and tried to bite him through its makeshift muzzle.

Hagrid, making sure that his gloves were pulled tight over his wrists, reached down, and unbuckled the collar tied around the dog's snout.

"Well sorry there boy," he said, blocking the dog's jaws with his palm as it lunged, "Bu' I had ter do it. Didn' need yer ter wake up Harry and all them Muggles. Woulda been dogmeat ourselves if tha'da happened."

But Sirius wasn't paying attention. All he knew was that it had been a strange night—James's disappearance at the train station, finding a huge man holding Harry where the house was supposed to be, that strange blue light, and now this. He peered around and wrinkled his nose, trying to find out where he was and what was going on. As it turned out, this was a large field of endless land, with lots of water on one side of the grounds, forest on another and, far off in the distance, an enormous building, unlike any he had ever seen before. Despite having never seen this place before, there was something in Sirius's mind, as if of a former life, that he had been here before. But he no longer recognized this place as Hogwarts, his own school, and that here he had learned his lessons, made his friends, marked his enemies, and acquired the magic that had gotten him stuck in this state. These were things no dog ever needed to know.

Sirius looked around this strange place and started to howl.

"Aw now quiet boy!" Hagrid said, a blank sort of look in his eyes. "'Is no good now." He pulled a large spotted handkerchief from his pocket, pressing it to his face They's dead, they ain't never comin' back." He blew his nose, the sound rivaling the dog's howl, then glanced at a rusty old bucket lying in the grass.

"Well, I guess there's nothin' else ter do," he said at last, a few tears glistening on his beard. "C'mon boy, les get goin'." And so he walked towards the cabin. Sirius, not wanting to be left behind in this new environment, tailed after Hagrid, pausing only to sniff the bucket. It glowed a faint, haunty blue. He tucked his tail between his legs and dashed ahead of Hagrid, scratching at the wooden door of his house.

The moment he walked in, Sirius knew there was another dog here already. He just had time to sniff it out as a large black mass ran into him and Sirius found himself keeled over on the ground, as a puppy large as himself stood over him, its wagging tail blurred.

"Arg, leave him alone Fang," Hagrid said, grabbing his pup by the collar. Sirius stood back up, wanting to see the creature that had knocked him down. They sniffed each other, and Fang licked the older dog's lips, signally his submission. Sirius barked and the boarhound keeled over on his own, grey-black belly in the air.

"Alrigh', now tha' yer two're acquainted," Hagrid said, walking to another part of his little cabin. Fang still wasn't done with this new dog. He rolled back over, tongue and tail wagging furiously. Sirius snorted at the child's stupid antics, and made over to the place he smelled food. As he ate, his living shadow taking what food was left, he knew there was something wrong. But it was late now; he yawned and curled onto the floor, not bothering to move towards the dog be din the corner. Fang, already taken with this stranger, snuggled beside him, licking the other dog's ears as they closed their eyes. A gruff voice saying "_aww_," was the last thing Sirius heard before falling into sleep.

Everything was fine the nest morning. Hagrid went on with his gamekeeper duties, both black dogs at his side, watching intently as he tended to the gardens and patrolled the forest, talking to many odd-smelling creatures that they walked into. (Fang, excited about something, raced ahead and ran into a baby hippogriff the size of a stallion and had to be separated by Hagrid's massive arms.) It was only around mid morning when they were back inside the cabin, happily knowing on an antler, that Sirius knew something was wrong.

It was time to go meet James.

He went over to the door and scratched it, expecting to be realized. Hagrid ignored him. Taking more desperate measure, Sirius started barking, adding a high whine when he needed to.

"Ar stop it there yeh old cur," was all Hagrid did. Within minutes he had a howling dog at the door, shredding the door to splinters with his claws. Hagrid walked over, his forehead wrinkled.

"Alright, yeh gotta go out?" The dog looked pleadingly up at him. Hagrid sighed and opened the door. The dog whooshed out.

"Hey where ya think yer—?"

But Sirius was out of sight. He ran through the forest, knowing instinctively that it was the way to the trains. But it wasn't an easy trip. As time passed and he got nearer into the heart of the forest, the trees and brambles thickened, catching his fur and pricking his paws. Still he kept on, that one thought of meeting James propelling him through the thorns.

He collapsed. His fur and ears were tore, twigs and thorn were caught allover his back, and he smelled something strong. Looking behind, he saw a trail of bloody paw-prints. He sighed, trying to get up, but his body was too sore. Yet that thought was screaming in his head. _It's almost time! Get to James!_

Something musky-smelling touched his leg. He looked up blearily, then howling as eight massive eyes stared back at him form above two enormous pincers.

"Lunch," the spider said. It was huge, bigger than the hippogriff, its body quiver as it snapped its horrible jaws. Sirius quailed, fear rooting him down even if he wasn't so tired. He closed his eyes.

"Ar, back you!" a familiar gruff voice said. Hagrid came striding from nowhere, Fang bouncing behind, as they stood between Sirius and the giant spider. The creature stared longingly at Hagrid, as though seeing an extra big meal, but the glare in Hagrid's eyes, and the rules of Aragog made it decline. It bowed its ugly head, and retreated, silk snaking around its many legs.

Hagrid clasped his hands on Sirius's collar.

"Alrigh' now tha's over. What were yeh doi' yeh dozy cur? Been wantin' a death wish?"

But Sirius howled as Hagrid led him out of the forest. And he continued to howl as they retuned to the cabin.

"Quiet down now," Hagrid said. But Sirius didn't listen. He was late—James would've arrived at the station by now, wondering where he had gone. He just sat by the door, howling the entire night.

"Aw, stop it!" Hagrid grumbled from his bed, shielding his eyes from the early morning sun.

But it didn't stop. And weeks later, things got worse. Students and teachers alike were complaining about the noise, saying you could hear the wails all the way back at the castle. Nobody wanted to come down to the grounds for Herbology, or Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Kettleburn, not with that constant racket. But Hagrid couldn't bring himself to put a Silencing spell on the poor dog, even if he did know how to work it. He tried everything: extra treats, long walks in the forest (on a very tight leash of course) and swims in the Great Lake. And for the most part, Sirius was fine. During the day he was content to go for walks and play with the overbearing Fang. But by mid-late afternoon he would become agitated, finally howling once the sun started to set. Nothing would calm him down.

Hagrid wondered about this, then thought back to the Order meeting. James had come late to that, followed by the cur at his heels. And the dog had been so upset when…on _that_ night…_No_! Hagrid shook his head. He didn't want to relive that night, not ever again.

He stared form his bucket-sized mug of brandy, to the two dogs lying on top of each other. The one on top was sleeping peacefully, flicking his puppy tail every so often in his sleep. The other was whining, his eyes flickering around the room.

Hagrid strode over to them, cupping the worried dog's chin in his palm.

"Yeh don' like it much here, do yeh boy?"

More whimpering.

"Alrigh' I really don' want ter do this, bu' yer un'appy and everyone up at the school's upset. Don' seem righ' ter make everyone happy. Here." He yanked Sirius out by the collar. Fang fell in a heap, whimpering, but Hagrid took not noticed. He rummages through his cupboards, looking for something. He gave a satisfied "ah," when he found another buckety mug, still tinged blue.

Making sure his grip on Sirius (who was squealing and trying to get away) Hagrid touched the Portkey. There was a pull at his navel Next thing he knew, he was right outside the ruins of Godric's Hollow.

He gave a great wail and covered his eyes with both hands. Sirius ran off, and he was gone at the turn of a corner.

"Bye boy, I'll come soon an' make sure yer fine."

Sirius dashed through the streets, redoing his route as though I were just yesterday that he'd taken it, and not with a month in between. And soon enough he was there. King's Cross. And there was the hotdog vendor, still smelling of sweet sweet meet. He rushed up, tail swinging.

The man chuckled. "Hungry boy?" He dropped a strip of meat, which Sirius gobbled up as he rushed for his spot. It was five o'clock.

Sirius waited and waited. He watched as people passed, and his tail wagged on. It didn't stop wagging, even when hours passed and James still didn't come. But Sirius wasn't proturbed. After night had fallen, and the station was empty, he got up stretched, and headed back to Godric's Hollow, and spelt outside the ruined house, his fur keeping him warm through the cold bitter winds.


	7. The Painful Wait

Hagrid stepped into the station, ignoring the people who were starring at him with wide eyes and open mouths. It wasn't just his large size, or his getting confused at the crossroads and nearly getting run over by a car (though no one noticed him hold it back with one hand), that made them stare. The large quarry in his arms contributed greatly to this unwanted attention.

Mopping his balaclava with his rabbit-fur glove, Hagrid made his way easily through the snow that most people were trudging through, some cursing as they stopped to pull out their ankles. He laid his quarry—half a roe deer—on the raised spot in front of the station, and the dog already there ran up to him, tail wagging.

"Alrigh' there boy?" Hagrid asked, sitting down and scratching his beard. The dog ignored him, its affection reserved for the quarry. He crouched beside Hagrid, sniffed the deer's belly (which was cut throat-to-tail) pulled back the seam, and sniffed it. He turned back to Hagrid, head titled and muzzle tight in a scowl as if to say _is this thing poisoned?_ Hagrid chuckled a bit, patting the dog's shoulder hard enough to push him to the snowy ground.

"I didn' tamper with that doe boy. Well, other than set uppa trap and shoot it when it got stuck, but…well anyway, it's all clean meat. I never tainted it before an' I'm not about ter start. Dig in!"

The dog tilted its head the other way. But after a good long stare his face relaxed and turned back towards the dead deer. Seconds later every up to his chest was inside, and Hagrid heard the sounds of ripping and chewing jaws at work. He chuckled and scratched his beard, throwing comically dark looks at the people who were staring at him, before they noticed him looking back and tried feebly to focus on something else.

"Dunno how yeh stand living mongst these muggles boy," he sighed. "I mean, nothing agains' 'em of anything, but they dunno 'ow to live, or 'ow to behave."

The dog grunted between a snapping of bones.

Hagrid sat up. "Well, guess I better be off. Hogwarts duties ter be attendin' ter y'know, or don't I suppose. This should last yeh a few days; yeh can get yer our food till then. Well, by boy."

And so he got up and walked out of the station. The dog hadn't even pulled his head out from his meal's stomach.

Once his belly was no longer grumbling and he felt much happier, Sirius pulled his head back and stared around him. He snorted. People as usual walked by, some looking down at him to mumble some words, most avoiding him by a large distance (in a former state of mind, he would've realized the deer carcass was turning them off). It didn't matter though; he didn't pay much attention to them anyway. At least, not in the sense that he cared: he'd look over and sniff each one, but when he quickly knew that they weren't James, he'd ignore them and examine the next person. He'd become an excellent examiner, though he produced no positive results.

The clock struck five. A whistle blew. But before either of them had set off, Sirius's spine tingled. It was time. He sat up straight and wagged his tail, and as he did so, the train pulled into the station.

He thrust his tail harder and sniffed eagerly as people spilled through the doors. As the folks before, most gave him and his food a wide birth, though some rather familiar-smelling ones stopped to pat him on the head. As per usual, he ignored them, peering through their fingers for a familiar face, for that strong comforting smell.

It didn't come. Once the last person has left the station, the train began to roar and rumbled out of the station.

Sirius sighed and rested his chin on his paws. Where was James?

He didn't know why his master had stopped coming. Had he done something wrong? Was he being punished for stepping over the line one too many times? Had he peed in the house or bared his teeth at another person or knocked Harry over, something that had deemed him (he drew back his ears in shame) a bad dog?

He sighed again and curled into a tighter ball. The snow was beginning to upset him, but he'd wait it out. If it took days or weeks or another hundred years or more—whatever they were; he couldn't measure time—he would wait.

Night fell and the snow rained down in thick quantities and he stood up and left the station. He couldn't possibly know that, of those hundred years or more he was willing to spend waiting, he had already waited for two.

He was fighting hard against the snow packed high against the ground as he reached his destination much later, at what he didn't know was midnight. The ruined house at Godric's Hollow was the same as it had ever been, even when it was almost lost under the packs of cold white stuff. Sirius rolled around in his favorite spot, ignoring the snow clinging to his flanks. The patch revealed some ruined sheets and pillows which had once belonged to the main bedroom. He flopped onto them and sighed; he could still smell his friend through all the debris.

Sirius closed his eyes, but his mind whirred. Images, many of which he didn't understand, flashed through his closed lids. Of a small ratty kid, of a peaky teen with light brown hair, a girl with flowing red locks who turned into a old stern-looking witch with square specs. And of course, flickering through all of them, was a teen—and then a young man—with messy black hair, hazel eyes, and a grin on his face.

Sirius licked his lips and pulled a worn teddy bear towards him. Tomorrow he would go back to the station and wait for James. Maybe this time he would be there.


	8. The Passage

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the late reply again. So I'm reaching the end of this fic; only one or two chapters left now. I'm basing this chapter on the scenes in the 2009 Hachiko movie, when time becomes a blur to the old dog. Well, enjoy.**

Once again, Sirius walked to the train station. The snow was long gone now. Summer heat wafted through his fur. The straw-dry grass crunched under his pads.

He couldn't remember much anymore. Time seemed to pass with the twitch of a whisker. Time meant nothing to him anymore.

As he passed, he could feel the crunching grow louder. Dark leaves now dappled the ground.

The same routine continued as usual. He reached the train station and saw it was as equally bathed in fallen leaves. He got a snack from the hotdog vendor. Then the familiar tingle shot through his spine. A clock would strike, a bell would blow. It would be time. He'd sit at his place, watch the doors open with an explosion of people, and look for James. And as was normal now, James wouldn't show up. And with a droopy tail between his legs, Sirius would head back the way he had come. So he made his way back, the fresh batch of snow starting to build.

How much time passed? Sirius didn't know. Time doesn't matter to a dog; they can't wear a watch.

But a good bit of time passed. As the seasons changed and changed again, Sirius could feel himself getting slower with the start of each cycle.

People still stroked him, more than they used to. Many left him food, and Hagrid showed up from time to time with a meaty carcass. Many took pictures. Sometimes a familiar-smelling person would curl besides him while talking to another person, while a crowd of people took another round of photos.

By the end of it all, Sirius knew this was coming to an end. Now he moved slower, there were silver streaks in the hair round his feet and mouth. His limbs stiffened, making the daily walk last longer and longer. His vision burred, his hearing soon after. Even his nose wasn't as swift as it had once been.

One day when Sirius went to King's Cross, he froze. There was a new smell—bitter and metallic. Then he saw that someone was sitting at his spot. He ran up to them and started barking, and barked for a great deal before stopping. The thing that had taken his place wasn't alive. He flopped against it, waiting through squinted eyes for his master.

The people who passed through King's Cross smiled at the sight. Sirius was standing under a granite replica of himself. His story had gotten around in newspapers (both wizard and Muggle), magazines, television shows, radio... Folk from all around came to see the simple sight of a dog, now feeble in old age, wait for someone who would never arrive.

When James didn't show up at the end of the day, Sirius tried to stand up, but couldn't. His legs were too weak. He simply curled up between the stature's stone paws and went to sleep. The vendor left him a pile of sauerkraut before he left. Just before he set off, he stared at the old dog and sighed.

Sirius had been waiting for twelve years. The question on everyone's mind though, was how much longer did he have to?


	9. The

"Can't wait to get back," Harry said.

"Ditto mate," Ron replied. His eyes were glued to the car window.

Hermione smiled "Can't believe it's third year already. Oh, there'll be so much to learn, and our new classes and everything!"

"Calm down," Ron said, batting a hand at her. "You're making me nervous Hermione. And anyway," he turned away from the window, "How're you honestly gonna handle all those new classes? You've got about a million of 'em!"

"Not a million Ron , and I'll be fine. It's just…"

As the two of them bickered, Harry glanced behind Ron's back and looked through the window. Finally, after that dreadful summer, he was going back to Hogwarts for his third year. Excitement leapt about in his chest at the thought. He was going home.

He continued to stare out the window as his two friends continued to bicker. Once tired of looking at the identical-looking streets and cars, Harry looked round the rest of the ministry vehicle. Fred and George were at the other end, while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat in front beside the driver. Harry tried to turn in his seat to look at the ministry car driving behind, but couldn't turn far enough without undoing the buckle. He'd just have to wait till when they got out.

After what felt like forever, they finally made it to King's Cross. The driver parked in the lot, then got out to remove their stuff from the trunk. Harry, Hermione, and half the Weasley family got out, as the other half and Lupin exited the car parked next to theirs.

"Right on time," said Lupin, examining his watch. He smiled at Harry, who grinned back at his godfather. They'd only met two years ago, at the hut the Dursley had rented when their house had been attacked by a hundred letters, but in that short space of time, Lupin had become almost a surrogate father to him. And (though he'd never asked), he was sure that Lupin felt the same.

"C'mon, we better get moving," barked Mr. Weasley. "It's just fifteen minutes before the train leaves."

The drivers took the luggage and went inside to get trolleys. The rest of the party walked a bit more slowly to the entrance. As they walked, Ron and Hermione still arguing, Harry glanced at the grassy circular area in front of the station. There was a stone statue on it, a great hunk of granite in the shape of a dog. And between its paws, was a large, shaggy black dog. This sight wasn't a surprise to Harry, who'd seen the dog there the other times he had ventured through King's Cross. But now, with Ron and Hermione babbling like a pair of budgies and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing and Fred, George and Ginny ganging up on Percy, he fancied a break from the group and walked towards the animal.

"Harry!" cried Mrs. Weasley, "Hurry up! We haven't much time until the train leaves. And that dog's probably laden with disease."

"Don't worry," Harry called after her. "I won't be long. And I won't touch it."

"Well alright. But don't dawdle."

Everyone made their way into the station except for Lupin, who moved towards Harry and the dog.

It was quite a sad sight, Harry thought, that dog. Its thick black fur was dull and matted, and streaked liberally with grey. Though quite large, Harry spotted rib and hip bones straining against its skin with each breath. When it yawned, the few teeth it had, all yellow and rotten, stood out strongly against its dark body. Harry backed up as the dog made to stand, but its legs wobbled and fell back down. It didn't try getting up again, instead glaring at them with milky-blue eyes. Could it even see them?

Apparently it could, or at least its sense of smell was stronger than its eyes. Its snout twitched in Harry's direction, then moved lamely towards Lupin. After getting their scents, it groaned and closed its eyes.

"Poor guy," Harry said.

"Yes," said Lupin quietly. He held his hand it the dog's nose. Its nostrils bulged and it breathed in Lupin's scent a few times. Harry was quite surprised to hear the feeble thump of its tail. Once it was completely still again, Lupin removed his hand. He got to his feet.

"C'mon Harry," he said. "We don't want to be late."

Standing up as well, Harry followed him into the station.

A few hours later, Sirius woke up top pain in his stomach. His stomach was always paining him now, growling and twisting in anticipation of food that rarely came his way. Fewer people seemed to leave him any. Maybe they were anticipating what he was, that no food would save him from what would come.

Sirius yawned and looked around. He didn't seem much; cataracts had long ago taken most of his vision. He sighed. His body ached, he couldn't move; everything was fading. It was just a matter of tike before…

He licked his lips. Though barely able to see them, he'd smelled two people, both of whom smelled somewhat familiar. The younger boy—Sirius wasn't sure, but somehow he knew that boy. But from where? His scent reminded him of James's, somehow…

And the older one, his scent. Familiar, but again, how? Someone he knew from awhile ago, someone he didn't expect to scent ever again. Who?

Sirius yawned and closed his eyes. All this thinking was too much for him

**Hey guys, so so sorry this is late again. I'll try to get the last chapter up soon. Sorry this wasn't much after such a long wait.**


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